Deportation of Asylum Seekers in the UK

The United Kingdom has an emerging pattern of deporting refugees and asylum seekers back to their countries of origin, even when there is a high risk of persecution or abuse following their returns. Sri Lankan asylum seekers are often the victims of these deportations. Many asylum seekers are even opting to kill themselves over being deported back to a country where they face a high risk of abuse and persecution. By deporting asylum seekers at high risk of abuse if returned to their countries of origin, the UK is neglecting its obligations under Article 3 of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which ensures that no state “shall expel, return... or extradite a person to another State where there are substantial grounds for believing that he would be in danger of being subjected to torture.”